I have played tennis for about 50 years. Several years ago, new members of our club started to play “first ball in” instead of warming up serves. It has taken off and most new-to-tennis members are playing this way. Is it in The Code or rules? What can I say to put a stop to this?
— Janet Cannon, Stowe, VT
While some may consider “first ball in” as a timesaver, it’s not within the rules. You’re either warming up, in which case your serves don’t count, or you’re playing, in which case they do. It also can be a time waster if the server decides to play “first ace in” and blasts away with a few dozen wild serves before finally zeroing in. When your opponents say, “First serve in,” just respond, “Let’s either keep warming up or start playing.”
Except where noted, answers are based on the ITF Rules of Tennis and USTA's The Code.
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